Ford Police Cruiser Technology Tracks Speeding Cops, Rats On Them To The Chief

We’ve seen it time and time again where cops will be speeding down a highway for no apparent reason. Such actions represent a hazard to the general public and, to help curb such activities, Ford is providing technology that will allow law enforcement supervisors to track their officers and see how they are driving.

The system, called Ford Telematics for Law Enforcement, has been developed by Ford and a software firm called Telogis for the Police Interceptor Explorer and Taurus models. Currently, 50 Los Angeles Police Department cruisers have been outfitted with transmitters that will send various bits of information regarding speed, location of the officer, and whether or not the officer is wearing a seatbelt.

Image Credit: Ford

“We have a responsibility to the communities we serve and to our fellow officers to make safety behind the wheel one of our top priorities,” said Los Angeles Police Department director of police transportation II and commanding officer Vartan Yegiyan. “The collaborative process that exists with the LAPD, Ford and Telogis has allowed us to customize this solution to meet the unique demands of our organization and other Ford police fleets.”

While such a system will be helpful in providing public safety it is also advantageous for the officers. Since the Telematics system can transmit data in real-time, supervisors will be able to know if an officer might need help if, for example, the airbags deploy. It will also help enforce the use of seatbelts which, according to a recent study, says that most California police do not wear. The system will also build upon the existing capabilities of the Ford Crew Chief system, developed by Telogis, that provides information on a police vehicles spins, yaw rates, pursuit mode, accelerator pedal position, engine torque, stability control, and other vehicle functions.